Revitalise, re-energise, rejuvenate… in the world of wellness, it’s an overused tagline that often has little depth: but Vilalara Thalassa Resort & Medical Spa in Portugal’s take on it is anything but superficial. The integrated luxury wellness resort embraces Thalassotherapy, an alternative therapy that helps guests with everything and anything from leg toning to quitting smoking. With a focus on anti-aging, detoxing and weight loss, CompareRetreats.com takes a look inside the five-star resort…
Location
Situated on Portugal’s southern coast in the charming village of Porches, Vilalara Thalassa Resort & Medical Spa rests alongside the beach in Algarve. Located approximately one hour from Faro International Airport, this exclusive seaside retreat is surrounded by 11 hectares of lush gardens and has a distinctly tropical vibe.
Accommodation
Perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean, Vilalara’s stunning vantage point is complemented by its luxury facilities. All rooms have balconies and are decorated in contemporary style with premium amenities.
The resort has direct access to its own private golden sand beach, adding to its five-star cred. Other services include five swimming pools, three tennis courts, padel court and a kid’s club for children.
Room types include: ‘Junior Suites with Garden View’ (55 square metres), Junior Suites with Pool View’ (55 square metres), ‘Junior Suites with Sea View’ (55 square metres), ‘Junior Emotion’ (74 square metres), ‘Junior Spa’ (110 square metres), ‘One-bedroom Suites’ (115 square metres) and ‘Prestige Suites’ (140 square metres), along with a range of two-bedroom apartments (sleeps four adults, two children) and three-bedroom apartments (sleeps six adults, two children).
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Food Programme
Serving Portuguese cuisine with a twist, the culinary offerings at Vilalara are all about fresh, tasty ingredients and high-quality, local produce. Created with respect to the gastronomic traditions of the Algarve, the menu revolves around freshly-caught seafood, organic meats and zesty, herb-infused salads. Soups come in the form of gazpacho (served cold) while much of the seafood is grilled or sautéed. If you’re booked in for a detox or weight loss retreat, the kitchen will prepare special ‘healthy, tasty, low-calorie meals’ or ‘liquid diet’ options (detoxifying, anti-inflammatory shakes, juices and soups) which have been co-created with the resort’s nutritionist to support cleansing.
Treatment Programme
Vilalara has a dedicated medical spa called ‘Longevity’ which specialises in preventative, anti-ageing medicine. Taking an integrated approach to health, the medical wing is supported by an expert team of doctors, aesthetic medicine specialists, nutritionists, psychologists, physiotherapists and personal trainers.
Packages at Longevity are grouped under the following categories: ‘Discover Longevity’ (two nights), ‘Thalassa Break’ (two or three nights), ‘Wellness Booster’ (five nights), ‘Relax & Wellness’ (seven nights), ‘Mindfulness’ (three nights), ‘Holistic Rebalance’ (five nights), ‘Fitness Booster’ (three nights), ‘Weight Loss’ (seven nights), ‘Juice Fasting’ (four nights), ‘Quick Detox’ (five nights), ‘Active Detox’ (seven nights), ‘Intense Detox & Weight Loss’ (seven or 14 nights), ‘Life Rejuvenation & Anti Aging’ (seven nights), ‘Anti-aging Check Up’ (four nights), ‘Premium Medical & Anti-Aging Check Up’ (14 nights).
The resort also has one of the best thalassotherapy centres in the world and a range of spa packages are also available including ‘Relax & Wellness’ (two, three, five or seven nights), ‘Mindfulness & Anti-Stress’ (three or five nights), ‘Weight Loss’ (seven or 14 nights), ‘Detox’ (four, five, seven, or 14 nights), ‘Detox & Weight Loss’ (seven or 14 nights), ‘Rejuvenation & Anti-ageing’ (seven nights) and ‘Annual Check Up’ (four or five nights). Additionally, they have speciality focus packages which include: ‘Thalassotherapy Wellness’, ’Slimming’, ‘Healthy Diet’, ‘Anti-tobacco’, ‘Back Cure’ and ‘Toned Legs’ programmes.
Results
Expect to feel…deeply revived and regenerated. Vilalara Thalassa Resort & Medical Spa is a seasonal resort so isn’t open all-year-round. They are closed for European winter, so book your holiday well in advance as the retreat is extremely popular.
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